Chain conveyer or feed mechanism



July 20 1926.

v H. E. MARTIN Er AL CHAIN commen on FEED MEcHANrsM Filed Jan. 5. 1925 Patented vvJuly 20, 1926.

Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE ELTON MARTIN AN D RICHARD ANSON HARRIS, 0F PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND.

QHAIN CONVEYER 0R FEED MECHANISM.

Application filed January 5, 1925, Serial No.

This invention relates to feed mechanism, of the endless chain conveyer type, as employed on caramel-wrapping or other machines for the conveyance of the caramels or other articles in due order to the required positions to be admitted to the machines and subjected to the wrapping or other operations performed bythe same.

|The object of the invention is to facilitate the loading or charging of the feed mechanism with the caramels or the like and it comprises an endless conveyer to which a continuous movement is imparted during the operation of the machine.

Referring to the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation vand Figure 2 a sectional plan showing an arrangement of a feed mechanism in accordance with this invention for use with a caramelwrapping machine.

Figure 3 is a side elevation and Figure 4 an end elevation of one of the carrier members or tumbler pieces of said mechanism, whilst Figures 5 and 6 are similar views of another form of tumbler piece.

The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same or similar parts.

The apparatus as illustrated at Figures 1 vand 2 comprises a narrow stationary platform as a, supported in any convenient manner with respect to the wrapping machine with which it is employed. The said platform, on which the caramels such as b are placed by the operator, have slots or apertures therein through which, in the manner hereinafter described, project the tips of carrier members or tumbler pieces c pivotally mounted on the endless chain conveyer d.

The said conveyer has a continuous movement imparted thereto in any convenient manner from the wrapping machine with which it is employed.

As the tumblers 0 pass with the chain d from the wheel e to the wheel f in the direction indicated by the arrow 1 at Figure 1, their tips project through the slots or apertures in the platform a and so abut against the caramels and push them along the platform until they reach the position indi- 697, and in Great Britain February 12, 1924.

cated by the arrow 2, Figure 2. At suchv position the caramels come under the action of the laterally moving transfer member' of the wrapping machine whereby they are pushed oli' the platform a and into the machine to be wrapped in the known manner.

During such operative movement of the tumblers c they are maintained in the erect or service position by means of projections as c" from the sides of the tumblers which engage and slide along the retaining grooves g in the guard rails or like parts at the sides of the platform a. Such grooves terminate at 3 (Figures 1 and 2) at a position near the aforesaid transfer position 2, and on' passing beyond .that position, when moving in the direction of the arrow l, the projections c leave the grooves and the tumbler tips drop below the platform, the descent of the tumbler being assured by the abutment of .the said tips against the adjacent extremity z, of the gaps in the platform a. The tumblers remain in such out of service positions until the chain d, in passing round the wheel e again brings the projections c into engagement with the grooves g, in the manner illustrated at the right hand of Figure 1, and thus raises the tumblers so that their tips project through the slots of platform a.

In the modified form of tumbler shown at Figures 5 and 6 the lateral projections c differ in form from those shown at Figures 3 and 4 and theupper part of the tumbler has a portion c2 which slides along the edge of a platform a (Figure 6) which has no longitudinal slots as inthe example aforesaid. The upper extremity c2 of the tumbler projects across the platform a when in service but the latter has a lateral gap therein to permit the said upper extremity to pass below the platform when it has been carried beyond the caramel transfer position 2 (Figure 2). Or the platform a may terminate at or near such position and so permit of the fall of the tumbler.

l Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A conveyer comprising a platform forming a supporting base for goods to be pushed therealong, an endless chain in continuous movement directly beneath said platform, push members straddling said chain having 5 tips projecting above the platform and sides projecting beyond the chain sides, outwardly projecting lugs from the said sides of the push membersand grooves beneath said plaform engaging sald lugs to retain the push 'members in an erect position. 10

In testimonyn whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

YHORACE ELTON MARTIN.

RICHARD ANSON HARRIS. 

